The number of wineries in Washington officially topped 650 in April. The number subsequently crept over 700 (unofficially) later in the year, but with the economic downturn, it’s not clear if it will stay there. While several wineries including Yellow Hawk Cellar and Nicholas Cole did close in 2010, the industry did not see the mass closings some had feared.

The Great Recession continued to have a strong effect on the Washington wine industry. Consumers purchased wines at much lower price points. Price slashing worldwide made the environment extremely competitive of the state’s wines. Many Washington wineries tried to move down-market, focusing on ‘glass pour’ wines in the $15 to $25 range.

Eastern Washington wineries continued to move into the Woodinville area, now home to over 70 wineries and tasting rooms, to try to take advantage of Seattle’s large consumer base during the tough economic times. The Internet was also awash in ‘mystery wine’offers as producers looked for creative ways to move juice.

2010 saw one of the more unusual growing seasons in decades (see a series of harvest reports here). The year was cool with several areas seeing a good deal of precipitation during the summer. A late September/early October warm front – which one grower referred to as a “multi-million dollar gift” – averted a potential disaster. A freeze in late November has led to some concern about how next year’s vintage may be affected, particularly in the Horse Heaven Hills and colder parts of the Walla Walla Valley. Stay tuned.

The 2010 Wine Bloggers Conference was held in Walla Walla. The state subsequently saw a sizeable bump in posts and on-line discussion about Washington wine. 2010 also saw a great deal of expansion in the use of Twitter by the Washington wine community. Tweet-ups became commonplace. There were also several Washington-focused Twitter events including #WAMerlot and #WAwine which brought attention to the state’s wines.

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An hats off to you, Sean, and Washington Wine Report - the best Washington Wine Blog of 2010 as far as I'm concerned. The work you did on the November ballot initiatives alone was some of the best reporting I read all year, in ANY publication!

Cheers to a job well done, and looking forward to following you in 2011.

I second that! Your work has provided a lot of enjoyment, and even more information over this past year, and I look forward to what you'll bring us in 2011. I know that it must take a lot of time and effort, but please know that it is appreciated. We wish you a Happy New Year, and many great wine adventures!